AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Stock Price Down 3.9% – Time to Sell?

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)’s share price fell 3.9% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $173.63 and last traded at $174.14. 769,145 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 53% from the average daily volume of 1,622,244 shares. The stock had previously closed at $181.13.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wedbush began coverage on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Wolfe Research lowered AeroVironment to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Clear Str raised AeroVironment to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price objective on AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.68.

AeroVironment Stock Down 3.9%

The company has a market capitalization of $8.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -47.32, a PEG ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 4.30, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $162.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $193.39.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) last released its earnings results on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $555.97 million. AeroVironment had a negative net margin of 9.00% and a positive return on equity of 3.71%. The business’s revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.61 EPS. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 49,001 shares in the company, valued at $8,546,264.41. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of AeroVironment stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares in the company, valued at $1,592,271.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AeroVironment in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in AeroVironment by 230.3% in the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 109 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its holdings in AeroVironment by 90.0% in the fourth quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in AeroVironment in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 139 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment, Inc (NASDAQ:AVAV) is a technology company specializing in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), tactical missiles and precision loitering munitions, electric vehicle charging and scalable energy systems. Headquartered in Monrovia, California, the company develops solutions for defense, public safety and commercial markets. Their offerings include small UAS for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as advanced weapons systems designed to meet the needs of modern military operations.

The company’s unmanned aerial systems portfolio features platforms such as the Raven, Puma and Switchblade series, which are deployed by the U.S.